Russian security service paid $10 million for information leading to Maskhadov's killing

Russia's Federal Security Service said Tuesday that it had paid a reward of $10 million for information on the exact location of Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov. Maskhadov was killed last week in a special operation in the village of Tolstoy-Yurt, in northern Chechnya. The security service had announced in September that it would pay the reward for tips on the top rebel leader's whereabouts. The security service's press office said Tuesday that the agency would be prepared to help the people who provided the information to move to another region of Russia or to a Muslim country. It was unclear how many people would split the reward. "The Russian Federal Security Service confirms its preparedness to guarantee personal security and payment of an appropriate monetary award to citizens providing trustworthy information on the whereabouts of the terrorist leaders," the press office said. The killing of Maskhadov, one of Russia's most-wanted men, was a victory for the security services, who have struggled to penetrate the tightly-knit clan society of Chechnya. Maskhadov and other rebel leaders appeared able to move about fairly freely in the region, where they boasted of a large network of collaborators.